Green Gloves
by a tragically beautiful chair
Summary: Alanna gets sent a pair of enchanted green gloves from what appears to be an admier..er.. that make her behave....very strangely. Uhm...PG-13 for ...just...stuff....
1. Rain

(~(Disclaimer-Pgeh! If I owned them,well, then, I'd own them, wouldn't I? But I don't.)~)  
  
It was raining.  
  
She sighed.  
  
She hated the rain.  
  
--  
  
Jarre yawned. "I hate night watch.... nothin' ever happens around here...especially not at night....." he muttered to himself, huddling closer under a blanket, trying to drive off the cold.  
  
Or, not so much the cold as the wet. He yawned again. After two hours' night watch duty on the edge of a forest, Jarre was about ready to take a nap. Rousing himself, he decided to stretch his legs and take a walk.  
  
Not too far into the forest he came upon an old willow, set in the middle of a clearing on a small hill. Thinking to get out of the rain, he started up.  
  
He had taken no more than five steps when his pace slowed. Jarre squinted up at the swaying branches, uncertain. He'd thought he'd heard something. Shrugging, he continued. Three years of guard duty had stripped away most of his imagination.  
  
A fresh gust of wind blew the rain straight into his face, and he stopped altogether. He may have had little imagination, but he had a very accurate sense of awareness. Not two minutes ago the wind was blowing in the opposite direction.  
  
Shielding his face, he turned up his face to the willow, which had begun to look very foreboding. Now that he saw it, he wondered how he'd have ever missed it.  
  
A woman was leaning against the trunk of the tree, shielded from the rain by a curtain of willow branches. He couldn't make out any distinctive features, and in the pale moonglow, he couldn't tell whether she saw him or not. The winds died down, then altogether stopped. Jarre took a step back, then frowned inwardly. Why was he letting strange weather get to him?  
  
"Hey! Who goes there?" he yelled, only half-expecting a reply. No answer. He took a step forward. "Who are you?" Nothing. He took another step. The rain had stopped along with the wind. He could now see that she wore a dark cloak, of which color he couldn't distinguish.  
  
Her hair tumbled thick over the sides of the hood, and her eyes and nose were heavily shaded. Another step. He could see her mouth, and her chin. From where he was, Jarre thought her skin might be a light brown, more tan than anything. The outline of her lips was thin. In better light, he though, she might prove to be good on the eyes.  
  
He lowered his voice, talking softer. "Look, Ma'am, I'm okay with you being out here and everything to get out of the rain, but I'm going to need to know who you are. Family might be lookin' for you." As he was talking, he was slowly walking forward, like he might approach a child, or a frightened animal.  
  
The wind picked up again, whipping around him. He threw an arm up to sheild his eyes, cringing against the whirlwind of willow leaves flying at him. Stumbling back, he lost his balance and fell, landing on his back in the dirt.  
  
Jarre looked fearfully up at the woman, who hadn't moved during the whole thing. "Wha...." his throat was dry. He licked his lips, eyes darting from the woman to the tree, which seemed strangely alive. Funny. It didn't look that menacing before.  
  
"Wha..what are you?" he finally managed to croak.  
  
She laughed. It was an unnerving sound, one that made him shiver with a feeling that was very different than just a few minutes before. He saw a glint of light off her teeth as she smiled.  
  
'That's funny.....the moon isn't out...it was before.....' was the last thing Jarre though before he thought nothing at all. 


	2. Special Delivery

"What?!"  
  
The shout resounded throughout the hall, causing many to turn their heads.  
  
"What ball?! Haven't we had ENOUGH?" A woman with soft copper hair paced around a small room, looking every bit her nickname. The King's Champion, the Lioness, Alanna Cooper, of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the legendary first woman knight in centuries, was throwing a fit.  
  
The sides of Sir Raoul of Goldenlake's mouth twitched up in amusement. As her old friend, he'd gotten used to this. Alanna rounded on him.  
  
"Just what is so funny?" she demanded. "You're required to come, too, you know."  
  
Raoul sobered up. "Yes, I know," he muttered. "Don't see why Jon can't just take these stupid balls and..."  
  
"You know he only does it to humor Thayet.... And I think those representatives from Maren are coming, too." Alanna interrupted tiredly, sitting down in a chair. "Honestly, that woman has a party for everything..."  
  
"Alas, she is doomed to be the Queen of such gloomy party-goers," Raoul sighed with an exaggerated hand motion. She just glared.  
  
"And you had to tell me the day before it happens, didn't you?"  
  
Raoul grinned. "What, and listen to you go on like this for another week? Nah, we thought it best to inform you when you wouldn't have time to fuss," he informed her. "Because, you know, Thayet WILL expect you to dress.... nicely." Alanna stared at him blankly.  
  
"I don't get..." a look of horror washed over her face as she realized what he meant. "No....no way.... can't I just go in nice breeches?" she pleaded, though she realized it was futile.  
  
"No," Raoul smiled wickedly. "Her Highness said that I'm to inform you that you shall dress properly for our guests," Alanna groaned. "In fact," Raoul continued "She has set up a meeting with one of the best seamstresses in town for you to get fitted. Today." She groaned again.  
  
Suddenly she sat up.  
  
"Wait... George is still at Pirate's Swoop! He said he'd come in another week! I can't go without him!" she cried. Frantic, Alanna nearly tipped over the chair as she stood up. Raoul put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.  
  
"You can go to one ball without him..." Raoul assured her. "People have gotten past thinking that a woman can be just as good as, and, sometimes, better," Alanna blushed. "...than a man, so I'm sure they can get past thinking that a married woman alone at a party, or anywhere else, isn't right."  
  
"Raoul, that made absolutely no sense," she informed him as she resumed pacing. "Neither does Thayet arranging for me to get fitted for a... formal female outfit." The lady knight made a face. "Can't I just...wear something I already own?  
  
"Oh, so, I don't have that many dresses," she snapped at Raoul's blank stare. "I could dig something out from...somewhere..."  
  
"That's what her Highness is afraid of,"  
  
Raoul was interrupted by a knock on the open door. "Um... Lady Alanna?" A runner with close cropped gold hair stood in the doorway clutching a parcel. His eyes darted from Alanna to Raoul, obviously nervous about being in a room with two of the most famous knights in Tortall. He realized they were staring.  
  
"Oh, yeah..." he cleared his throat. "I have a package for you..." He thrust out what he was carrying. As soon as Alanna took it, he was out the door and running, after a hasty bow. Raoul raised an eyebrow. "Twitchy fellow..." he lost interest in whatever he was about to say as he looked down to see what it was Alanna had recieved.  
  
"Oh, wow..." 


End file.
